-LRB- Budget Travel -RRB- -- Just a two-hour detour from Paris , the Loire was once a playground to Renaissance royals . Now its vaunted châteaux are attracting enterprising young couples and artists who have remade them into captivating -- and surprisingly affordable -- inns .

Surrounded by 10-foot-high limestone walls , Le Clos d'Amboise offers an unexpected sanctuary in the town of Amboise .

CHINON

Hôtel Diderot

`` If you 've never eaten a brioche with fresh Ste. Maure goat cheese , honey and walnuts for breakfast , then you have n't been to the Loire , '' says Laurent Dutheil , who is justifiably proud of the simple breakfasts he serves at his 23-room hotel in the western corner of the valley .

Dutheil also produces dozens of fragrant artisanal jams such as apple-lavender and quince-cinnamon . -LRB- Sadly , they are n't for sale , but you can buy Dutheil 's recipe book , `` Jam in the Cupboard . '' -RRB- The traditional foods fit well with the hotel 's venerable atmosphere : Diderot is housed in a sprawling 15th-century home that the Chinon-born Dutheil , along with his two sisters , Martine and Francoise , bought and renovated six years ago . Budget Travel : See the hotels

Dutheil tackled structural issues , taking care to keep the exposed oak beams and original stone walls intact , while his sisters refurbished the rooms with cheerful striped wallpaper , toile bedding , and 19th-century armoires they scavenged on trips to Paris . The largest room , which sleeps four , has double windows with views of a courtyard . In the distance lie vineyards full of the red Chinon grapes much loved by 16th-century novelist and satirist François Rabelais .

4 rue de Buffon , 011-33/2 -47 -93 -18 -87 , hoteldiderot.com , rooms from $ 72 .

THÉSÉE

Le Moulin de la Renne

A tunnel of towering fir trees leads to the entrance of this converted 19th-century mill in Thésée , on the banks of the Cher River . Guests are greeted by an enormous Bernese mountain dog named Alpha and his equally friendly owners , Véronique and Christophe Villanfin .

There are 13 guest rooms , decorated with items such as embroidered quilts and framed puzzles of boats assembled by jigsaw fanatic Véronique . Jazz enthusiasts , the Villanfins host occasional concerts featuring local groups , including Les Bras ` Coeurs , a quartet that performs Georges Brassens standards .

The soirees are held in the restaurant , known locally for its coq au vin : rooster stewed in cabernet bottled at Le Chai des Varennes winery next door .

11 route de Vierzon , 011-33/2 -54 -71 -41 -56 , moulindelarenne.com , closed Jan. 10 -- Feb. 10 and 10 days in Nov. , rooms from $ 76 , entrées from $ 15.75 .

CIVRAY-DE-TOURAINE

Château de l'Isle

The Château de l'Isle is quiet to the core -- unless you count the chorus of quacks coming from the duck pond on the 35-acre grounds . The 18th-century manor house had been abandoned for 10 years when Denis Gandon bought it in 1986 and transformed the place into a 12-room hotel .

Still , the château somehow feels like a private home : A portrait of Gandon 's grandfather hangs over a 100-year-old antique table in the dining area , and an amiable Jack Russell terrier entertains guests with endless rounds of fetch . The stylish bedrooms have exposed wood beams and beds draped with coverlets in shades of crimson and marigold . Budget Travel : See the hotels

In the summer , breakfast is served in an expansive glassed-in terrace overlooking the garden . A nearby potager -LRB- or kitchen garden -RRB- supplies produce for some of chef Fabrice Cherioux 's breakfast treats , such as a zesty tomato confiture .

1 rue de l'Ecluse , 011-33/2 -47 -23 -63 -60 , chateau-de-lisle . com , rooms from $ 69 , breakfast $ 13 .

CHENONCEAUX

La Roseraie

This 18-room hotel in Chenonceaux was a must-stay on the itineraries of political notables after World War II , when the Allies were trying to figure out how to piece Europe back together . Winston Churchill , Harry Truman and Eleanor Roosevelt all , at one time or another , laid their heads at La Roseraie . -LRB- A letter from Roosevelt still hangs in the breakfast room . -RRB-

In 2000 , Sophie and Laurent Fiorito acquired the property and completed a top-to-bottom renovation . There is no such thing as a standard room here -- tiny singles have just enough space for a twin bed , while one suite fits a family of five . The decor is equally varied . One room has a Louis Philippe-style dresser and a crystal chandelier ; another shows off a modern pink-checkered sofa .

The hotel 's best asset is its proximity -LRB- a five-minute walk -RRB- to Château de Chenonceau , which Henri II gave to his beloved mistress , Diane de Poitiers ; the massive 16th-century building hovers over the River Cher .

7 rue du Docteur Bretonneau , 011-33/2 -47 -23 -90 -09 , hotel-chenonceau . com , closed Nov. -- Jan. and Mar. , rooms from $ 85 .

AMBOISE

Le Clos d'Amboise

Surrounded by 10-foot-high limestone walls , in the heart of the old market center of Amboise , this 17-room mansion inn offers an unexpected sanctuary from the town 's bustling , narrow streets .

The bedrooms come equipped with decorative elements such as mahogany four-poster beds and original fireplaces , while the common room features wood floors modeled after those at the Palace of Versailles . Most of the rooms overlook the hotel 's private park , landscaped with 100-year-old magnolias and a pine tree that survived the French Revolution .

A pool by the rose garden is perfect for a cool dip after relaxing in the wood sauna , housed in a former stable . Just a 10-minute stroll from the hotel stands the riverside castle that belonged to King François I -- part medieval fortress , part Renaissance royal house . The king became famously enthralled by Leonardo da Vinci during a 1515 excursion to Italy , and he set up the painter in a gabled redbrick château -LRB- now a museum -RRB- , just down the road from his castle .

27 rue Rabelais , 011-33/2 -47 -30 -10 -20 , leclosamboise.com , closed Dec. -- Jan. , rooms from $ 98 .

LIMERAY

Auberge de Launay

Between the two of them , François and Hélène Thévard have honed their hospitality skills at some of the world 's most well-respected hotels , including Le Meurice in Paris and the Savoy in London .

After years helping manage other people 's properties , the couple -- with their two small kids , Emma and Alexandre -- packed up their Paris apartment and bought an unassuming farmhouse in the secluded hamlet of Limeray to convert to a 15-room inn .

`` I grew up in the region , so when we made the decision to open our own place , I knew that I had to come back to the Loire , '' says François . In keeping with the spare design of the house , the decor at the Auberge is simple -- bedrooms are outfitted with neutral suede sofas , blond-wood floors and minimalist photographs of daisies and landscapes .

The duo oversees the daily lunch and dinner service at the on-site restaurant , which serves local specialties such as butter-poached Loire eel and chicken with mustard cream . The house dessert , a salted-caramel fruit tart , is baked with apples picked in the hotel 's orchard .

Le Haut Chantier , 011-33/2 -47 -30 -16 -82 , aubergedelaunay.com , closed Dec. 15 -- Jan. 15 , rooms from $ 72 , two-course dinner from $ 26 .

ONZAIN

Château des Tertres

This mansion in the heart of the Loire once belonged to the mother of novelist Marguerite Duras -LRB- who mentions the château in her famous work `` The Lover '' -RRB- . Later , in the 1960s , its marble hallways were filled with students from a nearby engineering school , which used the building as a dorm .

In 1992 , another curious owner took over management of the 14-room château : Bernard Valois , an artist who kept the mansion 's 19th-century detailing -LRB- high ceilings , gilded mirrors -RRB- but added contemporary design flourishes , such as a photograph of a mysterious pair of eyes in the foyer .

Last year , Valois and his wife , Christine , redecorated a former gatekeeper 's house as a contemporary four-room cottage with knockoff Jackson Pollock paintings and sculptures that resemble enormous eggs .

`` My husband likes to turn things that seem ordinary into the extraordinary , '' Christine says . `` He designed a ` Sputnik ' bidet that has Japanese robots stationed around the tank . ''

Valois also tends a 12-acre garden of roses and clematises , where guests can find a shed stocked with complimentary bikes for exploring the area 's 186 miles of riding paths .

11 rue de Meuves , 011-33/2 -54 -20 -83 -88 , chateau-tertres . com , closed Oct. 19-Apr . 1 , rooms from $ 94 .

CHITENAY

Auberge du Centre

When Gilles Martinet 's grandmother found herself widowed at the end of World War I , she started selling milk and eggs to make ends meet . One thing led to another , and her home eventually became a guesthouse and restaurant specializing in French country fare , like chicken sautéed in fresh cider .

Three generations later , Martinet is now proprietor and chef of this inn , which has 26 brightly decorated rooms in shades of sage and rose , as well as a flower-filled garden terrace out back . He has kept the breakfast area much the way his grandmother designed it , with rustic stone walls , an ample fireplace and simple country furnishings .

There are bicycles available to rent -LRB- $ 14.50 per day -RRB- for excursions to the Château de Cheverny , about five miles away .

34 Grande Rue , 011-33/2 -54 -70 -42 -11 , auberge-du-centre . com , closed Feb. , rooms from $ 78 , entrées from $ 17 .

Loire Basics

A two-hour drive southwest of Paris , the Loire Valley is known for its earthy cabernet franc wines and hundreds of majestic castles .

It 's impossible to see them all -LRB- a visit to one château can take half a day -RRB- , so it 's wise to focus on the worthy ones : Chenonceau , the graceful riverine palace that once belonged to Henri II -LRB- chenonceau.com , $ 13 -RRB- ; Chambord , which has a double-helix staircase inspired by the designs of Leonardo da Vinci -LRB- chambord.org , $ 12.50 -RRB- ; and Cheverny , renowned for its flamboyant , gilded interiors -LRB- chateau-cheverny . com , $ 9.75 -RRB- .

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Copyright © 2009 Newsweek Budget Travel , Inc. , all rights reserved .

Note : This story was accurate when it was published . Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip .

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Hotel Diderot in Chinon is housed in a sprawling 15th-century home

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The 18-room La Roseraie is a five-minute walk from Château de Chenonceau

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Auberge du Centre in Chitenay has 26 brightly decorated rooms